BRITAIN is set to send more troops to the Middle East to help train local militia in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, it has emerged.

Britain could be set to send more troops to the Middle East to help in the fight against ISIS

The army looks ready to bolster its 800-strong presence in the region with British soldiers gearing up to play an increasingly pivotal role in efforts to defeat the jihadists.

At present, Britain's sizeable military contingent is training Iraqi soldiers on how to deal with roadside bombs and coaching Syrian opposition militia in how to more effectively take the fight to ISIS.

Now a military source has revealed that Whitehall is keen to step up its contribution in the region and is "preparing to offer more" in terms of boots on the ground.

However they added that a final decision on if that will happen and how many troops will be sent has not yet been made.

GETTY

Around 800 British troops are already in the region helping train the Iraqi army

The revelation comes just days after it emerged that Britain is also gearing up to deploy an additional 50 Special Forces troops to the war-torn Middle East.

Military chiefs are reportedly keen to send in SAS troops to bolster local Kurdish militia – known as Peshmerga - after they captured the strategic town of Mount Abdulaziz from ISIS in northern Syria.

There are currently 250 Special Forces troops stationed in northern Iraq, who are working alongside American troops mounting electronic warfare attacks to disrupt ISIS's formidable online clout.

British soldiers are also making strategic use of drones in the area as part of a campaign of subterfuge dubbed 'Operation Shader'.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Nearly 800 UK personnel are deployed on operations in the region, helping Iraqis to strengthen and mobilise against Islamic State and we will continue to keep our contribution under regular review."